The King's booming laughter echoed around the grand room, filling every corner with its thunderous sound. Anne-Marie shifted uncomfortably in her seat, feeling the weight of his amusement pressing down on her. The King had replayed the video at least five times, each time laughing harder than the last, and each time making her feel smaller, more exposed. She cast a quick glance at Oliver, who sat rigid and silent, his eyes fixed on the small table before him. His hands were clenched tightly together, the only movement coming from the subtle way he twisted his wedding ring around his finger—his only visible attempt to stay composed.

Anne-Marie's heart raced as she wondered what was going through the King's mind—and more confusingly, the Queen's. The Queen kept looking at her with a bright, almost mischievous smile, as if she were in on some private joke. Wasn't she supposed to be angry? Anne-Marie exhaled softly, forcing herself to look away before her eyes met Aiden's. He was sitting next to the Queen, his gaze locked on her with a smirk of disdain playing on his lips. He looked like he was relishing in some secret triumph, and it made Anne-Marie's skin crawl. She couldn't tell if he was plotting revenge for the hit or if he was simply enjoying her discomfort.

She raised her upper lip slightly in a show of irritation and narrowed her eyes at him, barely able to hide her disgust. How could he sit there so smugly when he hadn't even apologized for being such a creep?

"What?" she mouthed at him, her eyes burning with unspoken accusation.

Aiden's smirk deepened. The nerve of her! How could she act so brazen after what she did? Did she not understand the gravity of her actions? Aiden's mind churned with suspicion. This was not the Paris he knew—Paris would never behave so recklessly.

The Queen's smile widened as she observed the silent exchange between them. There was something about their animosity that she found oddly entertaining.

"Oh, well, I must say, I've had a good laugh," the King said finally, handing his phone to one of the palace security, who swiftly returned to his post beside the throne. "I never knew your daughter was so daring, Prime Minister." His eyes met Oliver's, who immediately stood and bowed deeply, keeping his head lowered in deference.

"Please forgive my daughter for her indiscretions, Your Majesty," Oliver said, his voice tight with controlled emotion. "I should have raised her better, taught her better." He turned his gaze toward Anne-Marie, who looked up at him with a mix of fear and uncertainty. His raised eyebrow was all the prompting she needed.

What are you still sitting for? his eyes seemed to say.

Anne-Marie quickly rose from her seat, her heart pounding, and followed Oliver's lead, bowing low before the King.

"I implore your forgiveness, Your Majesty," she said, her voice trembling slightly.

The King laughed again, a deep, rumbling sound that made Anne-Marie's heart skip a beat. She bit her lower lip, anxiety gnawing at her insides. Was he laughing at her? Was this the prelude to some severe punishment?

"You know," the King began, his tone more serious but still laced with amusement, "in a different time, and under different circumstances, you would have faced severe punishment for what you did. In the days my grandfather was king, you might have even lost your head for assaulting the future King. But Aiden doesn't seem to think it's such a big deal, and he's chosen not to hold it against you. The Queen and I have decided to let him determine how this matter should be handled, especially since you are not a stranger to the royal family. Soon, the Vutrons and the royal family will be united through your marriage to Aiden, so there's no need to blow this out of proportion."

Anne-Marie's gaze flicked toward Aiden, her head still bowed. His smirk had widened into a full-blown smile. What was he playing at? Did he want her to feel indebted to him for this "mercy"?

"Your mercy is boundless, Your Majesty," Oliver said, bowing his head even lower. He shot a glance at Anne-Marie, urging her to follow suit.

"Paris?" Oliver's voice was a sharp reminder.

Anne-Marie snapped out of her thoughts and quickly turned to the King, bowing again.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," she said, and turned to the Queen, "your Grace." She repeated her voice barely above a whisper.

The Queen's smile softened as she looked at Anne-Marie.
"You're part of our family now, Paris," she said warmly. "The royal engagement might not have gone as planned, but that doesn't make you any less a part of our family, or any less the prince's fiancée. Couples have misunderstandings from time to time; we'll just consider this one of the few you and Aiden will have once the knot is tied."

Aiden suppressed a groan, rolling his eyes in exasperation. Not the marriage talk again. His parents seemed to take every opportunity to make him squirm.

"We understand how difficult it must be for you, adjusting after the accident at the engagement," the Queen continued, her tone compassionate. "I'd like to believe that your actions were a result of that adjustment. The prince, however, would like to apologize for his part in this."

Aiden's head snapped toward his mother, his expression incredulous. "What?"

"Prince Aiden, don't you have something to say to Paris?" the King added, his tone firm. "An apology, perhaps?"

"An apology?" Aiden echoed, his brows furrowing in confusion. "For what?"

"I mean, you did try to look at my boobs," Anne-Marie said, her words slipping out before she could stop them.

"Silence!" Oliver hissed, his voice sharp and reprimanding. "You are not to speak unless spoken to."

Anne-Marie bit her tongue, holding back the retort that was on the tip of her tongue.

"What are you talking about?" Aiden snapped back at her. "I wasn't trying to—" He faltered, the words dying on his lips as he stared at her. Everyone waited, the silence thick with anticipation. Anne-Marie blinked at him, her gaze unwavering.

Aiden let out a frustrated exhale, realizing it was pointless to argue further.

"You should apologize, Aiden," the Queen insisted gently.

"You did ask for it when you looked at her—" the King began, and Aiden turned to him, his expression a mix of disbelief and frustration. "We didn't raise you to behave that way."

"We raised you to be a king who respects his people," the Queen added. "Paris is one of those people."

Aiden rolled his eyes again, feeling trapped and irritated. He just wanted this whole farce to be over. Maybe if he apologized, they'd finally let him leave.

He bit down on his lower lip, forcing himself to look at Anne-Marie. She was watching him closely, waiting for the apology she clearly felt she deserved. He could feel the words clawing their way up his throat, but he fought to keep them down. Finally, with a tight, controlled breath, he spat out the words.

"Sorry," he muttered, the word barely escaping his clenched teeth. "I'm sorry for looking at you the way I did."

A small smirk tugged at the corners of Anne-Marie's lips. She could hardly believe she'd made him say it. Now, she was going to make the most of this moment.

"I forgive you," she replied, her tone deliberately light, just to irritate him further.

Aiden scoffed, his frustration bubbling over. Did she seriously just say she forgave him? Who did she think she was?

"Paris," the Queen's voice was gentle but firm, drawing Anne-Marie's attention back. "You should also apologize to the prince for hitting him. He may have been in the wrong, but as a woman and the future Queen of Breton, you mustn't let your emotions get the better of you. A true Queen shows wisdom before violence, love before weakness. You and the Prince will face many challenges together after your engagement, and even more after your wedding. You must find balance and never resort to violence, no matter the provocation."

Anne-Marie sighed softly. Why did she have to be the one to apologize when he was clearly in the wrong? But the Queen was right—maybe she had acted too rashly. And, despite everything, Aiden had saved her from drowning. Perhaps he wasn't as terrible as she wanted to believe. Reluctantly, she turned to Aiden.

"I'm sorry I hit you," she said, her voice soft and measured.

Aiden stared at her, unimpressed. He could tell she didn't mean it.

"The palace is working on removing every trace of the video from the internet," the King said, shifting the conversation back to Oliver. "It spread faster than I anticipated and has caused quite a stir. People are beginning to wonder if the engagement between the prince and your daughter has been called off. Not that I can blame them—news of what happened during the engagement ceremony has shaken the country, especially since the prince and Paris haven't been seen together since. This video has only made things worse. What do you suggest we do to calm the people?"

Calm the people? Aiden thought, his irritation growing. Why did they always have to cater to public opinion?

Oliver let out a slow breath. He had been considering this since the engagement, and even more intensely on their way to the palace. He knew how much damage the video had done, how it had everyone questioning the Vutron family's standing with the royal family. He had to find a way to turn this situation around.

"Your Majesty," Oliver began cautiously, raising his head to meet the King's eyes, "I believe we can turn this situation to our advantage."

The Queen raised an eyebrow.

"How so?"

Oliver took a deep breath, knowing that what he was about to suggest could either save or destroy everything he had worked for. "Now that the royal academy is back in session, we could start a documentary about the prince and my daughter."

"A documentary?" both Aiden and Anne-Marie blurted out in unison, their voices tinged with disbelief.

Oliver nodded, maintaining his composure despite the tension in the room.

"Yes, a documentary. We could use the power of the media to show the bond between the prince and Paris. By coordinating their schedules and having them appear together more often, we could reignite public interest and confidence in their union."

The Queen leaned forward slightly, considering the idea.

"It's not a bad idea. It might actually work."

Aiden's frustration reached its peak.

"Mother," he said through gritted teeth, "you can't be serious."

Ignoring her son's protest, the Queen continued,

"Aiden has a busy schedule this week. We could make Paris a part of it. If the people see them together—supporting each other as they carry out their responsibilities—it could help ease their concerns."

"And we could go ahead and set a new date for the engagement ceremony," Oliver added, sensing an opening.

"A new engagement ceremony?" the King asked, his tone skeptical. "Is that wise, given what happened last time? Isn't it too soon? We still haven't caught the mastermind behind the attack. There's a risk they could strike again, and after what happened, it will be difficult to convince our guests from other nations to attend. They've all lost faith in our security."

Oliver nodded, acknowledging the King's concerns.

"I understand, Your Majesty. But a royal engagement could help ease the worries of the people. The country has been in a foul mood since the attack. A celebration could lift spirits and restore faith. We would, of course, take extra security measures this time. Whoever was responsible for the last attack is clearly against the union of our families. They will likely strike again, and we will be ready for them. We can use the ceremony as a means to catch the true culprit and restore the reputation of Breton."

"You mean to kill two birds with a stone?" the Queen asked, her interest clearly piqued.

"Three birds, Your Majesty," Oliver replied, his voice steady.

"I like the idea," the King said, smiling broadly. "I'll instruct the royal court to set a date as soon as possible."

Anne-Marie felt a cold wave of panic wash over her. An engagement? Her? This wasn't part of the deal. How was she supposed to navigate being engaged to Aiden? The thought of being tied to him in such a public and permanent way made her stomach churn. She could barely manage to play the part of Paris—how was she supposed to manage an engagement, let alone a marriage?

She glanced at Aiden, who looked equally horrified. His face had gone pale, and his hands were clenched tightly on the arms of his chair. The idea of being forced into this charade made him feel sick. His eyes met Anne-Marie's briefly, and in that moment, they both understood each other's dread.

Man, it was going to be a long weekend.